Through mask electrochemical etching (TMECE) or electrochemical machining, may be used to produce features, such as channels and holes, in metal components. TMECE isotropically etches the metal components, removing metal in all directions at an equal rate. Because of this, the features produced using TMECE have a width that is equal to two times the depth plus the width of the opening in the mask.
High speed micromachining also may be used to form features, such as channels and holes, in metal components. High speed machining may utilize machines that are positionable in at least three axes and small bits to form small features. High speed machining also may be time consuming, as each feature must be machined in the substrate, and making the process more parallel may be difficult.